In 2015, Lonely Planet hailed Queens as the top location for tourism. The following year, the Queens Marathon came to life. While there is more activity than ever in Queens, our Borough is so much more than a docking port to get to Manhattan. If Queens, New York was its own city, it would be the fourth most populated location after New York, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn. With a culture and diversity literally like no other place around, why not continue to build The Queens Marathon!

Since its inception, this race event has become widely endeared by the running community. Local community boards and civic associations are catching on to the idea of the world coming to Queens for “The World’s Marathon”. While the idea of a Queens Marathon roaring through the streets of our diverse neighborhoods has the running community excited, it is our goal to proceed with care and sensitivity. Furthermore, it is our immediate goal to connect runners with the heroes and faces behind our communities to present you with the feel of an “authentic Queens event” in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

The crown jewel park of Queens, Flushing Meadows Corona Park arguably represents the Queens Distance Runners and the borough of Queens. On a weekly basis, thousands of locals engage in daily activities. Without any hills, it is home to several paths that encourage fast running. It’s becoming less of a secret that Flushing Meadows Park is host of several fun events at any given moment, on any given path. The greatness of these events is that they are organized locally. Soccer tournaments on the dirt, volleyball, and “Ecua” volley, Dragon boat festivals, concerts, bike rentals, and Zumba sessions along with so much more giving Flushing Meadows Corona Park a diversity that is to be appreciated.

Organized annually every Spring, the Queens Marathon is a looped course which we fully use to our advantage to create an atmosphere where the runner and the spectator work together. Friends of Queens Distance, dozens of the New York City area running clubs, and the general public take a patch of the course and support participants throughout the course of the event. Runners have come around to the idea of our looped course, as they bond with the crowd and volunteers, who in turn remember the personality and determination of each runner.

While it is our goal to bring a full Queens Marathon to the streets, it is our immediate goal to focus on connecting our runners with our local civic associations, non-profit partners and cultural institutions that endlessly work to develop our communities. Bringing the race to life was the first step, and before we bring the runners through our diverse and inclusive neighborhoods one day, it will be our collective mission to celebrate Queens at every turn in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on April 21st, 2019!